The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-01-12

| If we become acquainted with n man in
America, and soon after our acquaintance de-
! tect him In q falSehood, we at once conclude
that he is n bad man, and 1t is hard for us TO
think that he has anything amiable ABOUT
him: writer says, however, Wild i re,erGnee nina
man who tells lies, VIC must not from TINS,
suppose him to be mean man, for all chinese
are truth less. and you may ma on acquhihl-
ance with this Chinaman much that Is worthy
of praise.
A missionary once left Canton for short
distance, in company with ms ChineSc teach-
er. The Chinese teacher was afraid, II IL was
known that he was closely connected with the
missionary, his cOun trymen wonld lnlure
him. He therefore told those among whom
they travelled that he was painter. Here
was the ease of q man who In his own country.
i was a literary man, yet he did not hesitate 10
| tell n falSehood.
Some may say, that this is an extreme case,
as fear was the ground of the fnlsehoou ouG
this is only one OF many cases that could be
cited
| In America the custom Is for the people to
tell the truth the exception is; tnat people ,t
will tell fillsehoods. In China. the custom Is
| for people to tell falsehoods, and TINS custom
! is without exception as far as know the CHAR
acter Of the Chinese people.
| During war between England and emma,
the English forces went up the Canton RIVER
to storm and take the city of Canton INC
Chinese officers paid large sum OF money 10
ransom the city. The English left AMER theS
were gone. the officers told the people, that
the English had returned hat they had gone
away, because they were afraid.
IL would be naturally supposed from what
has been said that the Chinese are flatterers.
Their politeness frequently leads them not TO
contradict what the missionary says, anu
even to assent to the truth OF 1T. MisslnIarles
have sometimes wished that the ChineSe e
! would moi be so ready to yield assent; Tor II
they would contradict what the missionary
says, tire way would be open for the discus
sion Of religious matters. But the pnllteneSS
of the Chinese frequently causes them I'm 10 M Keep
| h,n IL tI,nip fhrn nnht TO nd
speaking candidly.
When Il man is detected in falsehood In
America, he is ashamed. His conscience may
tell him ihat he has done wrong; and wheth-
er it does Or not. he knows at least, that puo-
| lie opinion is against him. When. however,
the Chinese are detected in falSehood. ii you
they feel that they have done that which Is IS
wrong; It is not because they feel, that u u
IS known, it would disgrace them; Dnt u Is
becaus, by being detected. they see that tney
are not as ingenious as they supposed tney
were. Among the Spartans, we know, that
Diet ection in theft not the theft, was the crime
so, amoug The Chinese: detection In the 1aise-
hood, and not the falsehood is the crime.
| Chinese on becoming arquninted win
Americans or Europeans are Obliged 10 see
that they have some regard for their word.
a Chinaman once wrote tract in which ne
condemned foreigners for several lensons-lor
introducing among the people, poisonous
drug (0pium)-for allowing men and women
to mix In society and walk arm IN arm IN me
streets-fOr sending their fleets and armies 70
rob other nations Of their possessions; nut AZ
ter all this, he adds. that truth Is the only
good quality TO which they can lay the least
claim.
The impressions then must have been made
on the mind of this Chinese writer, that
| Americans and Europeans have regard for
truth, and by calling 1t II good quality. ne ad-
mits its eXccllency; notwithStandlns tnis'
that man would have told falsehood as un-
hesitatIngly and as unblemlshingly as others.
One acquainted with their litcrnture, tells
us: ''Thcy are condemned by their own
standards Of morality and confess their ina
bility to save Them still they hate the gos-
pei when they hear 1t. and arc madly attach
| ed tp their senseiess idols and bitterly tram.
pie beneath their feet the righteous claims OF
the Son Of God.
They are those poor, simnle-minded. honest
hearted objects Of pity. which some suprose,-
doing as we'll rs they know how and un1uStly
they are all guilty Of damnng sin. they
themselves heng judges. having violated the
laws OF morality and religion, and having no
provision for pardon they are Wl,rout eHcusS cs',
condemns them and their own law and their
own lips confirm the condemnation. The
World OF Truth declares that all liars snail
have their part In the lake. which bnrnetn
with fire and birthstone, which Is the secnnd
! death; and their own law declares Thou
shalt not lie," while their daily lives con
firm the language of their ltps rem GhlIn,
i hood upward, that they live TN ialsehoou ana
love it well. No one acquainted with the
| Chinese character ever pretends to trust the
word Of an unchrIstainiZed Chfnnman.
Those l0rgc associated with them and in
! timatrly acquainted with their character and
habits never expect y pagan Chlnamnn tn
speak the truth when there Is chance inr
him to tell n lie. Yet this very pe0nle VIII VIII
4 tell You by their own laws and by their own
lips, that 1t is Il vile sin to lie and deceive"
AN APPEAL TO THE UNCoNvERTED CHRIS.
i TIAN.
To those not professors Of the religion OF
Christ, we make few remarks by way Of I'M.
provelnent.
|. We have spoken of the intemrerance OF
the Chinese their addictcdness 10 the use OF;
drug that has an Intoxicating cffect.that
wpakens the hndy and beciOuds the mind.
Look TO yourselves. You are Intoxicated
with the vanities of the world; You are
buried In n slumbcr far more deep than thnt
which opium causes, and you, from the in.
fluence OF sin, are sleeping aScep from which
If not awaked In this world by, the grace ol
God, you will never awake until only In time
to see your folly.
While therefore you condemn thethonsandS
> that are slaves to an appetite for" perniciops
drug. see To 1t. that you are not slaves tn those
feelings that rise In rebellion against your
maker, and while you pity the victims thus
hurried to the grave. see to 1t, that you are
, not the victims OF rejection Of the Gospel oi
2. We have spoken of the dishonesty OF the
Chinese You may not condemn yourselves
for want of honesty: you have robbed no
man of his gold. his silver, his food or MS
I, apparel. But have you never committed a
robbery?
You may think you have never violated the
, communication shalt not Stcal,' because
you have never defraudrd II fellow being: hut
r have yon acted with fairness towards God
"Will n man rob God ?" ask Jehovah, and
, then Hr replies Himself-"yet ye have rob.
bed me- And when you ask "whercin have
we robbed Thee?" God answers Sin tithes
and offerings" You have neglected tn give
I, Him the honor that is dne. "A snn honoreth
his father and a servant his master; II men en-
: I he n father where * mine honor? ?and If ! he
$ q master where is my fear? saith the LORD ol
/ hosts" You have kept from God the homage
: of grateful hearts and the obedience of con-
secrated lives.
3. We have spoken of the truthlcssness OF
the Chinese You may not condemn your
! selves for want Of truth. UprightneSS makes
your doingS; what you promise 10 your lcl-
lowInen, you always perform, and your word
5 you regard as valid as your hond.
, that you have made been fulfilled: You
} have fulfilled your promises To men; Dut
, have you fulfilled them to God?
On beds of sickness ana in time or danger
with how much apparent sincerity nave yGn
J promised God, that If he would remove the
danger or restore TO health and strength, his
, service would he your work for the residue OF
your llfn; but the fulfillment Of your promise
has been as "the morning cloud ana inc
: early due"-"Bctter is IT, that thou shouldSt
! not VOW. than VOW and not pay" Break al
{ the promises YOU have ever made to man. Il
YOU wish the time Is coming when man Will
forget these broken promises; but beware
, how YOU trife with promises made 10 God
! "Be not deceived, God Is not Knocked"
OUR BIG RAILROAD.